BAE delivers JLTV prototype

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich., Nov. 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps have received a prototype of an enhanced Joint Light Tactical Vehicle from BAE Systems and its partners.

The final prototype of the Enhanced Protection JLTV will be delivered by May of next year.

The prototype vehicles will undergo continued government testing over several months to aid in the finalization of the requirements for the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the program.

"The military looks to JLTV to provide the improvements in protection, performance, and payload needed to fill the capability gaps between the HMMWV and MRAP families of vehicles," said Ann Hoholick, vice president and general manager of New Vehicles and Amphibious Systems for BAE Systems' U.S. Combat Systems. "This vehicle is similar to the three Category A prototypes that were delivered earlier this year and has been further improved to allow for enhanced and scalable survivability without sacrificing essential expeditionary capabilities."

BAE said the project team, which includes ArvinMeritor and Navistar Defense, leveraged years of armor design, development experience and innovative blast-mitigation techniques that have been matured on BAE Systems' Mine Resistant Armored Protection family of vehicles for the JLTV-A-EP, which incorporates enhanced armor protection and suspension system.